Switchboard.



A. L. GULDSGHMIDT.

SWITCHBOARD. PPLIATION FLLBD JULYS. 1908.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

ADoLrn L. GoLnscnMiDT, or NEW YORK, N. r.

swrrcmaoann.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Api-u 20.1009.

innemen sied July s, isos; serial nl. nuts.

To all whom it mayorco'ncem Be it known that 41I, ADOLPH L. GoLD-SCHMIDT, acitizfen of the ,United States, re'- siding v at thecity'of'NewYork, in thel borough of Manhattan'. and State of New `York,have invented lcertain new and useful Im rovernents ilswitchboards, ofwhich the tion. A Y Y invention] relates to* electrical f' diSytribution-systemsefor buildings, particularly:

tall buildings, making' useotthe struction described in my?stent/Nef895,362'1; issued August 4, 1908, lil*vi'lzlichV isdescribed a system ofbus bars 'extending' verticllr through the' building and inclosefd'ingsA con-- duit.` With this apparatus thecircuit'conei nections for thevarious Hooi-sfere established by means which-califbe-supelio direct1y-upon the bus-bars and-suplprt'ed thereby at any desiredpoints-of their ength. The present 'a lication 'showszf'a com structionof switcilboard mostparticularly adapted to the above wiring constrllction `and ytaking fup a minimum amount'of'wa pace in the basement ofthelbuildin'g wherei ev4 generator or'generators are contained-1,materiaL such as marble, supported in any The 'inventionris however,not limited or restricted to this particular field of use".`

In carrying out the present invention I make use of en insulatingsupport which is-4 fastened over the bus-"bars o rj. series of tiers ofbus-bars, which extend" downward into the basement of the building, asabove described. On this insulatingbaseI'mountr` the various switchesand'apparatusfor the different circuits, there being" a se aratej'ciih'`p separate4 controlling switches. Bymy invention the various circuitsare made in a very sim 'le and direct Wey,'but the conductors oid er;

ent circuits are Widely separated Vat allY oints by anair gapoi--byintervenin'g insu atin` material, s o as tominirniz'ethe danger oaccidental cross connections. l

A feature of theinvention lies in the'form of main switch which I em'loy for connecting view, my invention consists in the the circuits ofthe Aswitch oard to the mains from the enerator.

With t 'ese ,variousand oher Yolog'ects in eaturesI of construction andcombination'as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 `is a front elevation of a switchboard embodythe principles of my invention. Fig. 2 1s a verticalV i-geleef and.exact descrip"-4 scrib d invmy abovementionedl' patent and portion'ofthe conduit andgeenductorsfwhich extend upward'thru buildin Refeirin totheraivmg; Yin

parts are' esignated byjthesame reference sign, l designates:iA-conduit; forexample, thel 'er `portion of aconduit such 4as dewhichis illustrated in its Vgeneral features in- Fig.' 3. The conduit is adated to extend' 'veiically through the ileor's of a building, 1an f hasswitches B; controlling the circuits of/the'bia'nch connections C, whichare joined e zo the switches in al1-obvious manner (not hown.) o 4 4 2'desi ates the bus-bars contained there in, of w ich. there are two,tiersfor layers shown, each havin a pair of conductors corresponding toindividual circuits. i For threewire' circuits there would, of course,be three conditions in` each tier or layer.- The busbars are'supportedfrom one another and from the suplporting rear surface 3 of the conduitby c eats 4 atsuitable spaced intel'fvals. i

. 5 designates'a lblock or base of insulating suitable way,4 preferablyfastened .to and resting a ainst the outer tier 2 ofthe conductors 2.his outer tier of the conductors orbus- Y barsr2 terminates short of thetier or layer 2* therebeneath. Only two tiers or conductors lareshowninthe drawings, but it is to be understood that as many tiers may beemployed as desired,jin every case ch tier terminating short of the tierimmediately y therebeneath,.in aV regular succession. A tpoints oppositeythe lower extremities.V "of the Vouter tier-.of conductors 2, theinsulati' base -5 holes orl perforations 'in whic are received ordinary.cartridge fusesv 7. These .fuses have the usual -nietallic headsattheir extremities adapted .to establish 1a' circuit therethrough, andthe `size of the fuses employed is so related to'the thickness of themsulatingbase' 5 that the outer head 7 projects slightly.-.bep{nd thesurface of this base.

8 deslgnates l tures L or terminals secured tothe insulating hase 5 andada ted to survround the projecting ,heads 7 o the fuses. Y

Each of these fixtures or terminals has a screw-cap 9 which can bescrewed down so as to press tightly upon the metallic head 7 of the fuseand cause agood electrical connection to be established therethroughfrom the 80. hiclililrel corresponding bus-bar 2 to the terminal 8. Thescrew-cap 9 can, of course, be removed whenever desired to insert a newcartridge fuse.

10 designates terminal blocks supported perpendicularl outward from theterminals 8 and having ower flat faces in a liorizontal plane which alsoincludes lower llat faces of the terminals 8. These faces of therespective terminal blocks 8 and 10 are adapted to be engaged by brushesor switch blades 11 which are vertically moved upward to en gage thesame by a common sup orting bar 16 and a connection 12 with a soenod-operaTt- .ing device 13. I have illustrated the t'erminal blocks 10supported in' properly spaced apart relation from the terminals 8 byrigid bent conducting sup orte 15 which project through openings of t einsulating base 5 and extend outward from the face thereof in )laneswhich are slightly to one side of or oilset from the paths of movementof the switch blades 11. In this Way there is established a very compactand convenient double pole switch for completing or interrupting thecircuit between the conductors 15 and the terminals 8 which areconnected to the conductors of the upper tier of busbars 2. Any otherforms of circuit-opening devices may, however, be used. The conductors15 are continued directly downward at 1i on the under face of theinsulating base 5, in" which relation they are laterally oiiset from theother series or tier of bus-bars 2b, which lie between the conductors15', as will be clear from Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The conductors or bus-bars of the tier 2b may be deflected at 18 andbrought into vertical alinement with the corresponding conductors of thetier 2, are ada ted to be en aged by cartridge fuses 7 whic i arereceive in theqnsulating base 5 in all respects similar to the fuses 7already described. There are also provided terminal blocks and switchmechanism for the fuses 7 substantially identical with those alreadydescribed for the 4fuses 7, and deln this relation they nominated by thesame reference characters in the drawings. The conductors for thebus-bars 2b corres ending to the conductors 15 already describ d, aredenominated 15b in the case of the l 'er switch apparatus, and areextended tlufough the insulating base 5 to join the extremities l5'ofthe conductors 15. At this point, therefore, the'separate circuitsjoin one another in the common connections from the generator. Thegenerator connection includes a main switch and fuses, of which I haveshown a very compact and convenient construction.l

20 designates lixtures generally similar to the fixtures 8 alreadydescribed, and which are adapted to cooperate with cartridge fuses 7binthe same Way as has been described for the fuses 7 and 7",

21 designates a double pole knife-blade switch. movable to engage thespring clip extremities 22 of the terminals 20. The respective poles orblades of this switch. form the electrical connections or terminals fromthe mains 23 from the generator, which are brought upward. into the baseoi the switchboard for this purpose. It will be observed that the pivotsupports 24 for the blades 21 of the main switch are located somedistance back from the front face of the insulating base 5, and swingthrough a limited are oi' movement which may be less than a rightangle,as shown in che dotted and full line positions of Fig. 2. The form ofthe terminals 22 is such as to provide downwardly projecting clips in apath to make good electrical connection with the corresponding switchblade 21 when the latter is swung upward thereagainst. It is evidentthat this construction permits the use of a switch which is theequivalent of the comparatively large switches now in use in all mattersof strength and current-carrying capacity, but' which takes up a minimumamount of space upon thev switchboard.

An additional accessories or devices, such as vo tmetcrs and ammeters 25and 26, may be supported upon the insulating base 5 of the switchboardin any convenient way. The circuit connect-ions of these devices may beprovided by small-iiexible insulated wires carried Ycutside of theconduit proper, and possibly inclosed in a separate pipe or conduit forurposes of protection.

That lpclaim is:

1. In a system of electrical distribution, a conduit extendingvertically in a building continuously throu h the floors thereof,uninsulated rigid busarsextending vertically therethrough in paralleland spaced-apart relation to one another and to said conduit, cleats forsup vorting the bus-bars at intervals, an insu ating base supported onthe.

tleus-bars, and a circuitPopenmg device supported on said base foropening the circuit of said bus-bars from the source of current supply.

2. ,ln a system of electrical distribution, a conduit extendingwrtically in a building continuously throu h the floors thereof,uninsulated ri id busars extending vertically therethroug in paralleland spaced-a wart relation to one another and to said con uit, cleatsfor supportin the bus-bars at intervals, an insulating ase supported onthe bus-bars, fuses extending through said base to establish connectionwith said bus-bars, and a circuitopening`device supported on the outsideface ot said base for opening the circuit of said fuses and bus-barsfrom the source of current supply.

3. In. a system of electrical distribution, a. conduit extendingvertically in a building continuously througlnthe floors thereof, un-

of said fusesfE removable caps received on insulated ri id bus-barsextending vertically therethroug "circuit-openingdevices onthe outside.face of Said base", and joined to said connections for 'openingA thecircuit o said bus-bars, one of saiddevices. being'the main switch fromthe source of current supply. f

' insulated ri id busars-extendi'ng vertica ly 4.' In'a'systern ofelectrical distribution,` aA

conduit v extending vertically in a build g continuously throu h thefloors thereof, n-

therethroug in parallel and spaced-a rt relation to one another and tosaid con u t,

cleats for'sup ortingbthe bus-'bars at int vals, an insu ting asesupported on 1 the bus-bars, said base havingl oles extendingtransversely therethrough 1n alinement with the res`ective `bus-bars,'fuses received in said ho es' and adapted to le age said busbars,terminals' surrounding t couter ends said to engage 'the' fuses, andV acircuit-dpe l' devlce engaging said terminals to open t e circuit ofsaid bus-barsfrom the" source of, currentjfsuppl 5. l'n a system ofelectrica pluralty of` tiers' of vbus-bars, each tier termmatlng shortof thel set immediately therebeneath, an insulating-base having holesopposite the lower endsof the respective tiers of bus-bars,separate'sets off-uses received in said holes to establish'separate connectionswith the bus-bars ofthe res ective tiers, and

' conductors connected toa of said fuses to connect the latter 'toy asingle source of current supply; Y

6. In a switchboard, an insulating base l .vmg aplurality of holes inseparate vertically spaced-apart sets fuses received in said holes,means for establishing separate circuits from said fuses on the `underside of said base, terminals surrounding the exposed ends of saidfuseson the face of the base conductors joined in a common circuit fromthe saine current `source and projecting through said base at pointslaterally offset from. the planes ofsald fuses,` and circuit? 4'openingdy vices for controlling circuits from said conductors to said terminalsfor the respect1ve sets of fuses, A

7.` In a switchboard, an insulating base :having a plurality ol' holesin separate verticall s aced-apart pairs, 1ses,received 1n sai .ho es,means for establishing separate circuits from said -fuses on Vthe underside of said base, terminals surrounding the exposed ends of said fuseson the face of the base,

conductors joined in a common circuit'from the same current source andprojecting through said base at points laterally offset 4 in paralleland spaced-@part relationfto one another and to said conduit, cleatsyfor sup 'ort' the bus-bars at inter-` distribution, a

from the planes of said fuses', circuit-openlng devices for controllingcircuits from said conductors to said terminals for the respective pairsof fuses, and a main switch for controling the circuit of saidconductors.

8. In a system of electrical distribution, a plurality of tiers ofbus-bars, each tier terminating short of the set immediatelytherebeneath, an insulating base having holes opposite the lower ends ofthe respective tiers of bus-bars, fuses received in said holes toestablishcircuit connections with the busbarsy of the respective tiers,circuit connections for the fuses of such respective tiers, and separatecircuit opening devices for controlling the same.

9.. In a system of electrical distribution, a plurality of tiers ofbus-bars, each tier-terminating short of the set immediatelytherebeneath, an insulating base having holes opposite the lower ends ofthe respective tiers of bus-bars, fuses received in said holes' toestablish circuit connection with the busbars of the respective tiers,terminals for said fuses, separatercircuit-o ening devices cooperatingwith terminals or controlling the circuit connections for the fuses ofsaid respective tiers, and a single main switch Ahaving circuitconnections for opening theA icc ing wth said terminals for controllingcircuits through said fuses to the busbars of the respective tiers. n

11. li: a system of electrical distribution, a plurality of tiers ofbus-bars' terminating at different levels at their lower ends, a base suported over the outer tier and having vho es overlying the respectivebus-bals,

fuses ,received in said holes, terminals for said fuses, circuit-openingdevices cooperating with said terminals for establishing circuitsthrough said fusesto the busbars of the respective tiers, ing connectionfor opening the circuit of all the bus-bars from the source ofA currentsup- A12.',ln aA switchboard, an insulating base having switches,conductors extending through said base, the conductors ofcorrespondingpolarity being connected together at their lower ends,fuses received in said Abase to engage said conductors at said lowerends, terminals 22 having clips and located on the outside face of saidbase and engaging said fuses, and switch blades pivoted behind the planeof said front face of the base and movable upward to engage said clipsto the 1 1 5' and a single main switch hav- 'limited :ingle to establishConnection with said clips,

4 In Wltncss whmel'i', l subsrlbe my signa-- lure, in the presence oftwo witnesses.

ADULP'! L. G(`)LDSUl-1l\lflDT. Witnesses WALDO M. CHAPIN, JAMES D.ANTONIO.

tablish a, circ-uib from the source of current supply.

13. ln ziy switchboard, :i has@ having holes, fuaros i'cwived in saidholes, terminals having clips on tlw luce of said base and iu electricalConnex-lian with said fusos, and switch blades l pivoted behind theplane of the front face of l said buse and movable upward through si

